Series: The Diversity of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder—Broadening the Conversation

These three speakers expose their unique perspective on PSTD in the military and in the workplace. Each perspective is based on years of first- hand experience dealing with individuals navigating the complexities of the system while in the grip of the condition.

Presenter(s)

James Cameron

James was called to the Bar in 1991. He received his LL.B. from McGill University in 1982 and his B.C.L., from McGill in 1984. For more than twenty five years, his practice has been focused on labour relations, employment law and human rights matters. James represents federal and provincial unions on a wide range of issues, including pay equity, pensions, classification, contract interpretation, discipline and Charter issues such as freedom of speech and freedom of association. James has been involved with Scouting for many years and in his spare time, seeks to become a better triathlete.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Stephane Grenier

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Stephane Grenier joined the military in 1983. He has served in several missions abroad, most notably nine months in Rwanda in 1994/95 and Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2007. He was also deployed for shorter periods of time and has travelled to many regions of the globe including: Cambodia, Kuwait, the Arabian Gulf, Lebanon and Haiti, to name a few. Faced with his own undiagnosed PTSD and related depression upon return from Rwanda, he took a personal interest in the way the Canadian Forces was dealing with mental health issues. In 2009, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Grenier spearheaded the development of a corporate mental health awareness campaign that was launched nationally by the Canadian Forces Chief of Defense Staff. The campaign was endorsed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health as an example of corporate leadership in reducing the stigma that is often associated with mental health illnesses. In 2009, he was awarded a national Champion of Mental Health Award by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health.

Retired Brigadier-General Gordon J. Sharpe

Retired Brigadier- General Gordon J. Sharpe joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1965 under the Regular Officer Training Plan and served in the Canadian Forces (CF) for the next 32 years in various operational, instructional air force and joint staff positions. Retired Brigadier-General Sharpe has served as a special advisor to the CF/DND Ombudsman on Operational Stress Injuries, specifically Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has served as a Board Member with the Canadian Defense Association Institute and with Thales Defense Systems (Canada). He works with Defense Research and Development Canada (Toronto) on various research projects dealing with the human in command and he is also working with Dr Allan English on research into command and control, leadership, and military culture, and is a frequent lecturer at the Canadian Forces College dealing with command and leadership issues as well as mental health.